Kaaba, Black Stone

Ka'aba, hajr-e-aswad

{ kah' - ah - bah }

General Information

Kaaba (Arabic, "a square building"), Islam's most sacred
sanctuary and pilgrimage shrine, is located in the
courtyard of the Great Mosque of Mecca. According to the
Koran, the cubic-shaped structure was built by Adam
according to a divine plan and rebuilt by Abraham and
Ishmael. A trough in which they reputedly mixed mortar
stands near the door and is a popular place of prayer. The
Kaaba houses the Black Stone, the most venerated object for
Muslims. Probably of meteoric origin, the stone is reputed
to have been given to Ishmael by the angel Gabriel. When
Muhammad began to preach to the Meccans, the Kaaba was a
shrine for the pagan deities of the Arabs. After the
Prophet established control of Mecca, the shrine was
rededicated to Allah. All Muslims face toward the Kaaba
during their daily prayers.

Kaaba, Caaba

General Information

Kaaba is the central shrine of Islam, a cube-shaped, one-room stone
structure in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It already attracted pilgrimages
as the most important sanctuary (haram) in pre-Muslim Arabia, and
the traditional belief that it was built by Abraham and Ishmael
(to whom the Arabs trace their descent) was confirmed by the
Qur'an (Koran). The annual pilgrimage to the Kaaba takes place in
the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijja, the last lunar month of
the Islamic calendar. The Black Stone set on the outside of one
corner of the structure is solemnly kissed by all pilgrims who
can gain access to it. Lesser pilgrimages are performed throughout
the year.

For Muslims, the Kaaba is the "House of God," where the
divine touches the mundane. It is washed annually and covered with
a dark silk cloth. The Kaaba has been greatly expanded since
Muhammad's times, a mosque-court having been built around it;
recently a gate of solid gold was added.

Fazlur Rahman

Kaaba, Ka’aba - The House of Allah

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In the province of Hejaz in the western part of Arabia, not far from
the Red Sea, there lies the town of Makka. In the centre of this town
there is a small square building made of stones, about 60 feet
long, 60 feet wide and 60 feet high. Since time immemorial this town
and this stone built house has been known to world travellers. This
is Baitullah, the House of Allah. Its sanctity and antiquity is older
than history itself.

Tradition goes that the Kaaba was ordained by Allah to be built in
the shape of the House in Heaven called Baitul Ma’amoor. Allah in
his infinite Mercy ordained a similar place on earth and Prophet
Adam was the first to build this place. The Bible, in the
Chapter of Genesis describes its building when God ordained
Abraham to erect a Shrine for worship when Abraham was ordered to
go to the Southern desert with his wife Hagera and infant son
Ismael. The Old Testament describes this building as the
Shrine of God at several places, but the one built at Ma’amoor
is very much similar to the one at Makka. There is no doubt that
it was referring to the stone built house at Makka.

Qora’an brought this story into the full light of history. In Sura
3 Verse 90 Qora’an says “Allah has spoken the Truth, therefore
follow the creed of Ibrahim, a man of pure faith and no idolater”.
The first house established for the people was at Makka, a Holy place
and a guidance to all beings. Qora’an firmly establishes the
fact that Ibrahim was the real founder of the Holy Shrine.

When Prophet Ibrahim built the Holy Shrine in Makka, his prayers
were that this place should remain a centre of worship for all
good and pious people; that Allah should keep his family the
custodians of the Holy place. Ever since, Ismael the son of Ibrahim
who helped his father to build this place and his descendants
remained the custodians of the Holy Shrine. History tells us that
centuries passed and the guardianship of the Kaaba remained in
the family of Ismael until the name of Abde Manaf came into the
limelight. He inherited this service and made it much more
prominent. His son Hashim took this leadership and extended it to
many other towns of Hejaz so much so that many pilgrims flocked
annually to this place and enjoyed Hashims’s hospitality. A feast
was given in honour of the pilgrims, food and water was served
to all guests by the family of Hashim. This prominence created
jealousies and his brother Abdushams’ adopted son Ummayya tried
to create trouble. There was a dispute in which Umayya failedand left Makka to settle down in the Northern provinces of
Suria(Sham) currently known as Syria. After Hashim his brother
Muttalib and after him Hashim’s son Shyba who became known as
Abdul Muttalib assumed the leadership of the family. He organised
feasts and supplies of water to the pilgrims during the annual
festival of Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine.

Prophet Ibrahim built this House for devout worship to one God.
But within his lifetime people disobeyed his orders and began to put
idols inside the Kaaba. Ibrahim had to clean the House of these
idols and of Idle worshippers. He told the people that this was a
symbolic house of God. God does not live there for He is everywhere.
People did not understand this logic and no sooner had Ibrahim died
the people, out of reverence, filled the place with idols again.
They thronged to this place annually and worshipped their personal
gods, It was over Four Thousand years later that the last of the
line of prophet (SA), Muhammad Ibne Abdullah entered Makka
triumphantly, went inside the Ka’aba and, with the help of his
cousin and son in law Ali Ibne Abi Talib, (AS) destroyed all the
idols of Ka’aba with their own hands. At one stage of this
destruction of idols, the tallest of the idol Hubbol was brought
down after Ali had to stand on the shoulders of the Prophet to
carry out God’s orders. The Prophet of Islam was reciting the
Verse from the Qur’an

“Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished.”

This was done in the 8th year of Hijra, January 630 AD after the
bloodless victory at Makka by the Prophet of Islam.

Historically when Ibrahim was ordered by Allah to build the Shrine
for worship over a small he uncovered the original foundations of
the Kaaba built by Adam. Ibrahim with the help of his son Ismael
erected the new shrine on the same foundations. Originally it
contained only four walls without a roof . Centuries later
during the timeof Kusayi who was the leader of the Tribe of
Quraish in Makka a taller building was completed with a roof and
a quadrangle wall around it to give it the shape of a sanctuary
and doors all around the sanctuary walls. People entered through
these doors to come to the Ka’aba for worship. It is now about
60 feet high, 60 feet wide from east to west and 60 feet from
north to south. A door is fixed about 7 feet above ground level
facing North East. A Black stone (Hajar al Aswad) was fixed into
its eastern corner. In front of the building was Maqame Ibrahim,
the arch shape gate known as that of Banu Shayba and the Zamzam
Well. Just outside are the Hills called Safa and Merwa and thedistance between the hills is about 500 yards. These days both of
the hills are enclosed into the sanctuary walls with a roof over it.

The whole building is built of the layers of grey blue stone from
the hills surrounding Makka. The four corners roughly face the
four points of the compass. At the East is the Black stone (Rukn
el Aswad), at the North is el Ruken el Iraqi, at the west al Rukne
el Shami and at the south al Rukne el Yamani. The four walls are
covered with a curtain (Kiswa). The kiswa is usually of black
brocade with the Shahada outlined in the weave of the fabric.
About 2/3rd’s of the way up runs a gold embroidered band covered
with Qur'anic text.

In the Eastern corner about 5 feet above ground the Hajar el Aswad
(the blackstone) is fixed into the wall. Its real nature is
difficult to determine, its visible shape is worn smooth by hand
touching and kissing. Its diameter is around 12 inches. Opposite
the North west wall but not connected with it, is a semi circular
wall of white marble. It is 3 feet high and about 5 feet thick.
This semi circular space enjoys an especial consideration and
pilgrims wait in queue to find a place to pray there. The graves
of Ismael and his mother Hajera are within this semi circular
wall. Between the archway and the facade (N.E.) is a little
building with a small dome, the Maqame Ibrahim. Inside it is
kept a stone bearing the prints of two human feet. Prophet
Ibrahim is said to have stood on this stone when building the
Ka’aba and marks of his feet are miraculously preserved.

On the outskirts of the building to the North East is the
‘Zamzam Well’ (this is now put under ground).

History of the building of the Ka’aba.

Qur’an in Sura Baqra Verses 121 to 127 described it clearly that
Allah had ordained his servant Ibrahim to build the Shrine there
for worship of One God. During Kusayi’s time it was rebuilt and
fortified. During the early years of Prophet Muhammad (SA) before
he announced his ministry, the Ka’aba was damaged by floods and
it was rebuilt again. When the Black stone was to be put in its
place the Makkans quarrelled among themselves as to who should
have the honour to place it there. They had just decided that
the first comer to the quadrangle should be given the task of
deciding as to who should have the honour. Muhammad (SA) came
in and was assigned this task. He advised them to place the
stone in a cloak and ordered the heads of each Tribe each to take
an end and bring the cloak nearer the corner on the eastern
side. He himself then took out the stone and placed it in its
position. It has been fixed there ever since.

After the martyrdom of the family of the Prophet at Kerbala in
61 Hijri (681 AD), the Ummayad Caliph Yazid Ibne Moawiya did not
stop there in the pursuit of his destruction. He sent a large
contingent under the command of Haseen Ibne Namir to Madina which
destroyed the Mosque of the Prophet. They did not stop there but
proceeded to Makka and demolished the four walls of the Ka’aba
and killed thousands of muslims who protested. Yazid died and Ibne
Namir returned to Damascus, Ka’aba was rebuilt by Abdullah Ibne
Zubayr and his associates. Umawi forces came back to Makka and
killed Abdullah Ibne Zubayr, hung his body on the gates of the
Ka’aba for three months for all to see the Umawi power. But
eventually this arrogance of power brought its own consequences
and Mukhtar became the ruler in Iraq. Under his guidance the
Ka’aba was refurbished and pilgrims began to arrive in safety
to perform Hajj.

The Ka’aba successfully withstood the Karamatian invasion of 317/929,
only the Blackstone was carried away which was returned some twenty
years later. In the year 1981 the Wahabis brought tanks inside
the Ka’aba to crush the kahtani revolution against the Saudi regime
and almost demolished the South Eastern Wall. This was later
restored with the help of the Makkan people.

Every man living in Makka in the 6th and 7th century must out of
necessity have had some relationship with the Ka’aba. On the
Muhammad (SA), the Prophet of Islam, the Qur’an is silent during
the Makkans period in this respect. All that is known is that the
muslim community of the period turned towards Jerusalem in prayers.
Subsequently about a year and a half after the Hijra the Muslims were
ordered during prayers which were lead by the Prophet of Islam
himself to turn towards Makka. The particular mosque in Madina
where this happened is called Masjide Qiblatain, meaning the mosque
with two Qiblas. The Qur’an tells the muslims, “ turn then thy
face towards the sacred mosque and wherever ye be turn your faces
towards that part ”Qur’an II,139/144.

At this same period the Qur’an began to lay stress on the religion
of Ibrahim, presenting Islam as a return to the purity of the
religion of Ibrahim which, obscured by Judaism and Christianity,
shone forth in its original brightness in the Qur’an. The pilgrimage’s
to the Ka’aba and ritual progressions around the building were
continued, but were now for the glorification of One God. The
Abrahimic vision of the Ka’aba created a means of discerning an
orthodox origin buried in the midst of pagan malpractices to which
the first muslims pointed the way.

Every year after the Hajj ceremony the place is closed for one month
and on the Day of Ashura the Ka’aba is washed from inside by the
Water from the well of Zamzam and a new Kiswa is brought to cover
the Ka’aba for the next year.

This is the story of the Ka’aba and the persons who protected it
and remained its custodians and protectors from the satanic
and evil forces throughout history. Muhammad (SA) and the people
of his household (Ahlulbayt) were the protectors of the Ka’aba,
and currently the 12th Imam from the direct descent of the Prophet
of Islam is the real protector, its custodian and guardian and
shall remain as such while in concealment. In the following pages
we shall unfold the lives and times of these 14
Masoomeen Alaihimussalam.

Editor's Notes

The text above is excerpted from much more complete scholarly presentations
from the web-site: al-islam.org

Editor's Note

This article seems to be the best available article (in English)
regarding the Kaaba. It includes a number of details not otherwise
mentioned. However, it mentions some details that seem extremely
hard to believe are documented! There are a number of details about
Abraham and Ishmael. That seems fine except that, at that era, writing and
record-keeping essentially did not exist! The few known records from
that era are in stones engraved with heiroglyphic symbols, of major Kings
and major wars. It is somewhat hard to imagine that Abraham,
Ishmael or their children would have somehow recorded all the personal
experiences that this article seems to accept as facts. If there are
archaeological artifacts to support these statements, excellent! But this
article did not provide any such documentation. From a scientific
viewpoint, this seems like a potential problem.

On a different subject, this article refers to very large numbers of
travelers over the centuries mentioning the Kaaba. This sounds like a
VERY important subject to deeply research! If it is true that traveling
Jews of 600 years before Muhammad mentioned the existence of the large
building, and the many Romans who were in the area at that same time,
and earlier Persians and other ancient traders and travelers also mentioned
the building, it seems that it would provide VERY impressive evidence
that the Kaaba was ancient enough to potentially have been erected by
Abraham (2600 years before Muhammad). We have made a moderate effort to
locate such references, and have not yet found any. If there are Muslim
scholars who can point us to such pre-Muslim references to the building,
we would appreciate it and would add them to this Note. However,
on the other side of the coin, if there are NOT quite a few such
pre-Muslim references, of a rather large building in a city that was
always on major trade routes, it might cast question on the actual
antiquity of the Kaaba. So far, we have not been able to find any
references to the building before around 100 years before Muhammad,
and we would appreciate aid by archaeologists, researchers and scholars,
on any evidence either way.

Kaaba

Advanced Information

Unfortunately, we are not aware of any more scholarly texts on this
subject which have yet been translated into English. We know
that a number of Arabic scholars have written wonderful texts
in Arabic, and look for the day when we will be able to add
higher quality texts to this presentation.